LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 

C]iap,_/:_.C Copyright No. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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A READY REFERENCE HAND-BOOK OF USEFUL INFORMA- 
TION AND SUGGESTIONS FOR EVERY DEPART- ^ 
MENT OF THE HOUSEHOLD. 



KKEP READY FOR USE THIS LITTI.E BOOK 

'T WII^Iv REPAY THE TIME YOU TAKE TO I.OOK. 



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HINTS PUBLISHrNG CO., 
Cleveland, O. 



HINTS 

TO 

HOUSEKEEPERS. 



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A READY RBFBREN6B HAND-BOOK OF USEFUL 

INFORMATION AND SUGGESTIONS FOR 

EVERY DEPARTMENT OF 



THE HOUSEHOLD. 



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KEKP READY FOR USE THIS I.ITTIvK BOOK, 

'T \VIL,h RKPAY THE TIME YOU TAKE TO LOOK. 



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Copyright 1S95 by H. M. gakl«rb- -; ^---.^ 

Ji\M 231896) i - 

THE BRITTON PTQ. CO., 4S SHERIFF ST., CLEVELAND^ O. 



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LIVING ROOMS AND NURSERY. 



To Wash Windows. Put a teaspoonful of powdered borax in 
warm water, wash with a piece of chamois skin and dry with news- 
paper. 

Or; put a tablespoonful of kerosene in the water, dry and polish 
with newspaper. 

To Remove Old Pntty. Paint over with nitric or muriatic 
acid. Putty will soften in an hour. 

Finger Marks. A flannel cloth dipped in kerosene and wrung 
dry is useful for removing finger marks from wood. 

To Dust Ceilings or Hardwood Floors. Make bags of Can- 
ton flannel to draw over the broom. 

To Keep Brooms. Never stand them broom part down. Dip 
them in boiling suds once a week. Best brooms are light green. 

To Remove Clinker from stoves put common salt on the coal 
before making a fire. 

Soot. Clean up soot by covering thickly with dry salt before 
.sweeping. 

To Clean Iron Orilles, Etc. Rub on a very little vaseline 
with a soft rag. 

To Stop (xas Leak. Soften common brown soap and plaster 
it around the leak. Keep lava tips on burners to save gas. 

To Avoid Smoke. After arranging a fire for lighting, in stove, 
furnace or grate, light a paper, or shavings, on top of the fire to 
create a current of hot air. Then light fire from below. 

Burning- Chimney. Put salt on the fire and close the draught. 

Oil Cloths. Clean with clear luke warm water and flannel rag. 
When dry rub with cloth dampened with milk. 

Or; Wash with milk and water then apply following mixture 
with a flannel cloth. Put half an ounce of beeswax in a saucerful 
of turpentine and set in a warm place until they can be thoroughly 
mixed. Rub off with dry flannel. 

To Clean Brass Gas Fixtures. Rub with cut lemons and 
wash off with warm water. 

To Clean Brasses. It is said to be an aid to dip a cloth in 
kerosene for using with the putz pomade. 

To Clean Marble. Two parts soda, one part pumice stone, 
one part pulverized chalk ; sift fine and mix with water. Rub well 
over the marble, then wash with soap and water. 

Furniture Polish. Saturate with olive oil and apply solution 
of gum Arabic dissolved in hot alcohol. Apply cold. 

Paint From Windows. Wash paint from windows with equal 
parts of ammonia and turpentine. Wash off with suds. Or use a 
hot solution of soda. 

To Stop Creakinj? Hinge. Rub soft lead pencil into the crevices. 

Plaster Busts and Statuettes can be cleaned by dipping them 
into thick liquid starch. When thoroughly dry remove with a brush. 

Pillows and Beds. Do not put pillows or feather beds in the 
sun to air — but in a shady place, with a dear, dry wind blowing over 
them. If it is cloudy, but not damp, and the wind strong, it is all 
the better. This if practiced ofLeu will keep well-cured feathers 
sweet. Badly cured feathers cannot be made sweet. A hot sun on 
the best of feathers will turn them rancid. 

To Clean Woodwork. When paint is thoroughly dry and clean, 
rubbing it over with whiting on a soft cloth will give it a nice polish. 



Delicate shades of paint that are not much soiled may be cleaned by 
using a little whiting in the water. Grained wood can be cleaned 
nicely with tea of medium strength and well strained. This will not 
remove the gloss, which the use of soap will surely do. Ammonia 
in the water should never be used for cleaning paint, for, although 
excellent as a cleanser, it gives the surface of the paint a dull, dead 
look, as it removes the polish. Where the room is to be re-painted, 
ammonia water will remove the dirt quicker, and with less labor, 
than any thing else, and will be found excellent for the purpose. 

Smoked Ceiling* from Kerosene. Wash with strong solution 
of soda. Fill any cracks with cement made of one pint of water to 
one pint of silicate potash and common whiting mixed. 

Umbrellas. Dry a wet umbrella open and upside down. 

To Soften Stiff Shoes. Rub in vaseline or castor oil well 
with a cloth. 

A Tiglit Shoe or Boot will go on easily if the soles are warmed 
thoroughly. Or wet a cloth in hot water and lay across where it 
pinches, changing it several times. 

To Dry Shoes, if not wet through. Heat pebbles and put inside 
the shoes. ' It will dry them without injury to the leather. Or; stuflf 
wet boots and shoes with paper until they have dried. 

To Make Shoes Water Tight. Mix neatsfoot oil with a little 
kerosene and boiled linseed oil in a shallow dish, stand the shoes in 
this so that the soles are covered. Let them remain for several 
hours. Rub them well when taken out. 

Tender Feet. Sponge night and morning with a solution of i 
tablespoonful of carbonate of soda to a half pint of cold water. 

Dusters. Make dusters of cheese cloth. Shake them after 
using and wash frequently. For tufted furniture have a carHage 
brush or a round paint brush. 

To Clean Chromos. Wipe them off with a piece of chamois 
skin moistened with cold tea and then polish with a little olive oil. 

Picture Frames and Glasses can be preserved from fly specks 
by painting them with onion water, made by boiling three or four 
onions in a pint of water. Fly specks can be removed b)' touching 
them with a camel' s-hair brush dipped in spirits of wine. 

To Ebonize Frames. Scrape the old gilt off the frames. Rub 
them with sand paper and paint with black Japan varnish or Bruns- 
wick black. 

Reg'ilding. After regilding with the gold paints it insures per- 
manency to cover the gilding with melted beeswax applied with a 
soft brush. 

Frames varnished with copal varnish can be washed with cold 
water without injury. 

Oil Painting's can be cleaned with raw potato. Cut the potato 
in halves and rub the picture, cutting again as the potato becomes 
soiled. Wipe dry with a silk handkerchief. 

To Clean Clilt Frames. Kqual parts of white of an egg and chlor- 
ate of potash. Dip a soft brush in the mixture and go over the frames. 

Hanging' Pictures. Let the cord pass through both rings and 
join in the center of the picture. 

To ('lean Furniture. Rub the surface with a wet cloth (with 
a little soda or borax in the water) dry thoroughly, then rub it with 
raw linseed oil and afterwards coat lightly with shellac, polishing 
finally with a soft cloth. 



Old Oak Furniture. Wash it iu warm beer, or weak soda and 
water, dry with a clean cloth. Have ready a gallon of strong beer 
boiling hot in which has been dissolved one ounce of beeswax and 
one ounce of brown sugar. Put it on with a paint brush and when 
dry polish with a woolen cloth. 

Delicate Cabinet Work. A fine polish: Half a pint of linseed 
oil, half a pint of old ale, the white of an egg and one ounce of 
muriatic acid. Shake well before using. Apply with a soft cloth 
and rub for a few minutes. This preparation will keep a long time. 

Filling" for Cracks iu Floors. Make a paste of three quarts of 
water to a pound of flour and a tablespoonful of alum thoroughly 
boiled. Soak in this while hot old newspapers till a thick pulp i^ 
formed. Stuff in cracks while warm. 

Carpets. The oftener carpets are shaken the longer they wear. 

To Clean Carpets. After tacking down go over the surface 
with a pail of suds to which a cup of alcohol and two tablespoonfuls 
of ammonia has been added, rinsing and wiping dry as you go along. 

Or; use as above; j4 har of soap dissolved in )4 pail of boiling 
water and five cents worth of salts of tartar. Use hot. 

Just before sweeping carpet dip broom in hot water to which a 
little ammonia has been added, or use damp salt on carpet, or snow. 

To Spong'e Black Silk. Take a teaspoonful of ammonia to a 
cupful of cold cofiee. Use soft sponge or flannel cloth. 

To Clean Gold Lace. Rub with a-^oft brush dipped in burnt alum 
pounded and sifted. Or ; grate stale bread fine and mix with pow- 
dered blueing. Lay this thickly on the lace and let it lie for awhile. 
Then brush off with a piece of flannel and polish gently with a 
piece of velvet. 

Black Lace. Sponge the lace with an old black kid glove 
dipped in a solution of one teaspoonful of borax in a pint of warm 
water. Pull it in shape, after clapping it nearly dry with the hands, 
and lay it on brown paper to dry. Do not put it near the fire, nor 
iron it. 

To RenoTate an Old Dress. Rip the garment to pieces and 
brush every part well. If necessary clean with soap bark or other 
cleanser. Use a piece of the same goods to sponge with and stroke 
with the nap of the material. Press while damp with a clean cloth 
laid over the surface, one that will not shed lint. 

(xrease Spots can be removed by covering with dampened 
magnesia to be brushed off when thoroughly dry. 

Jet Passementerie, Wipe with a soft cloth dipped in alcohol 
and water. 

Raise Pile of Velvet. Hold the wrong side over a basin of 
boiling water keeping it taut until the pile begins to rise. Then 
let a second person brush it with a stiff brush. 

To Curl Ostrich Feathers. Hold the feather over a stove or 
other hot iron while curling. Take a silver knife or the back of a small 
pen knife and draw the fibers of the feather between the thumb and 
dull edge of the knife, not more than three fibres at a time, begin- 
ning at the point of the feather. 

White Feathers can be washed in warm soap suds then rinsed 
thoroughly and curled. 

For Cleaning" Clothes. Alcohol may be used instead of ammonia. 

Soiled Coat Collars and other woolen goods can be nicely 
cleaned with soap bark. Get at druggists soap bark chips. Break 
a piece about two inches square into small bits and pour over it a 



half pint of boiling water. Let it stand an hour or more, where it 
will keep warm. Sponge the goods, afterwards rinsing with warm 
clear water. 

To Clean Gloves. Put the gloves on and rub with an old linen 
handkerchief dipped in milk and rubbed on white castile soap. 
Wet the entire glove and rub and pull gently until dry. 

Mend Gloves with fine cotton instead of silk. Do not wear 
your best gloves in damp weather. 

To Restore Black Kid. Add a few drops of ink to a teaspoon- 
•ful of olive oil. Apply with a feather and dry in the sun. 

To Remove Iron Rust from Clothes. Thicken lemon juice 
w^th equal parts of flour and starch and a little soft soap. Apply 
to the rusted spots and place in the sun. 

Pitch or Wag'on Grease. Grease the spots and after a few 
minutes sponge with turpentine. 

To Remove Siiubiirn. Add to twelve ounces of elder flower 
water six drams of common soda and six drams of powdered borax. 
Or; Take half an ounce blanched bitter almonds and half a pint of 
soft water. Beat the almonds to a pulp. Add to the water, strain 
and use. 

To Clean the Skin. Put a tablespoonful of tincture of beuzoine 
in half a pint of water. Add more water if the sensation is too 
burning. Use with soft flannrfl. 

To Remove Dandruff. Rub common salt into the roots of the 
Jiair at night and brvish it out in the morning. Brush the hair fre- 
quently with a stiff brush to keep it in good condition. 

Stained Hands. Borax water is excellent to remove stains 
from the hands and keep the hands in good condition. 

If you have been picking or handling acid fruit and have stained 
your hands wash them in clear water, wipe them lightly, and while 
they are yet moist, strike a match and i-hut your hand around it so 
as to catch the smoke, and the stain will disappear. 

Workers on fine lace and embroidery are often inconvenienced 
by the perspiring of their hands while at work. This can be 
remedied by rubbing the hands frequently in dry bran. 

To Thread a Needle. When troubled to get ihe thread in try 
the other end of the thread. 

Squeaking' Boots. Drive a peg into the middle of the sole. 

Preparation for Cleaning* gloves, ribbons and laces: Two 
quaris of deodorized benzine, two drams of sulphuric ether, two 
drams cf chloroform and four drams of alcohol. Wash the articles 
in it and rinse well in fi^esh water. 

To Clean Papered Walls. Wipe with a flannel cloth tied over a 
broom. Cut a thick piece of stale bread and wipe the paper from 
the top down in straight lines. Renew the bread when it begins to 
streak the walls. 

Hard Finished Walls. Wash them with soda and water. 

A Wash for Walls. Soak a quarter of a pound of glue over 
night, add a pint of clear water in the morning and set in a warm 
place till the glue is all dissolved. Put five and a half pounds of 
Paris white into a large pail. Pour over it boiling water, stirring 
cpnstantly. Add the glue. Mix it to a smooth paste. Thin with 
hot water and apply with white wash brush. 

Smoked Ceilings. Clean with soda and water. 

If the wall above the stove has been smoked, cover the black 



patches with gum shellac and they will not strike through either 
paint or kalsomine. 

White-wash from Carpets. A few drops of carbonate of am- 
monia in warm water will immediately remove the spots. 

White Spots on Furuitnre can sometimes be removed by rub- 
bing hard with kerosene. Or, by holding a hot iron over the spot 
without touching and then rubbing with an oiled cloth. 

Willow Furniture. Scrub with a nail brush and warm water 
in which a little washing soda has been dissolved 

To take Bruises from Furniture. Wet the spot with warm 
water, lay over it brown paper soaked in warm water and iron until 
dry. 

Matting". In turning draw the long threads through with a 
coarse needle. Wash mattings with salt and water. 

Cane-seat Chairs are improved by washing. Dry them bot- 
tom upwards. 



THE NURSERY. 



Do not think that the baby is always hungry, or has colic, when 
he cries. Look for pins sticking, or clothes too tight. 

If baby has colic he will scream and draw up his legs. 

For colic try warmth to feet and bowels before dosing. A warm 
bath will often relieve the pain. 

Give the baby plenty of fresh air but protect him from taking cold. 

A child's flesh is very tender, treat it accordingly. 

Keep the baby's bottle, if he must have one, clean and sweet. It 
is well to have two bottles that one may be thoroughly cleaned while 
the other is in use. 

Do not let the baby have his bottle all night. Give it to him 
when he wakens and take it from him so soon as he falls asleep. 

Never dry napkins around the nursery fire. The vapor from 
them is poisonous to child and nurse. 

It is not safe to give a baby anything to eat but milk foods until 
he has begun to secrete saliva. 

Babies are sometimes injured by swallowing bits of worsted 
from the nurse's shawl or from tufts in coverings. 

Ivift a baby's carriage gently over curbstones and other rough 
places. 

Keep painted toys away from a young baby. 

Beware of cold air on the floor when the weather begins to 
grow cold. 

If the baby frets see whether his clothes are dry. How long 
would you endure wet clothing ? 

Do not burden a young girl with the care of a baby. Better let 
her wash the dishes and the mother tend the baby. 

Teach a child to obey before he is one year old and save your- 
self much trouble. 

Do not accustom children to light in the room at night, but 
arrange to get a light instantly when needed. 

If a child shows great dislike to his nurse find out the reason. 

A child's first teeth should be perfectly sound when they are 
shed. If not the child probably needs a doctor. 

Children like variety in amusement as well as in food. It is 
good for them. 



Well meaning persons often torment a child when attempting 
to amuse him. A child of nervous temperament should not be ex- 
cited by undue laughter and romping. 

Do not stimulate the mind of a bright child by "showing him 
off." It is safer to keep him back. 

Do not wash a child's face and hands just before he goes out in 
the cold. 

If a child strangles while eating give the white of an egg unbeaten. 

When a child holds his breath, dash a little cold water in his 
face, or, clap his hands together quickly. 

Teach children early to beware of fire; and what to do in case of 
their clothes catching fire. 

Nurses, especially young ones, should be taught that a small 
fire is easily smothered out, that air increases the blaze and that a 
person whose clothes are on fire should lie down immediately. The 
greatest danger is from swallowing the fire. 

A child will often not notice a slight hurt if those around him 
do not do so. 

Use brown paper dipped in warm water for a bump. 

When a child chokes on any foreign substance hold him by the 
heels, head downwards. 



CURES AND EMERGENCIES. 



Oh all Occasions Keep Presence of Mind. Don't get Excited 
l)ut C'onsnlt this Book. 

Keep Drugs and Medicines in a dry closet out of reach of 
children. 

Carefully mark bottles and boxes. 

See that corks and stoppers are tight. 

If labels come off throw away contents unless sure of what they 
are. 

For Rheumatism. Equal parts of olive oil and wintergreen. 
Outward application. 

Heartburn. Haifa teaspoonful of salt dissolved in a little 
cold water will relieve heartburn. 

Aching Feet. Bathe in hot water with a little ammonia in it. 

Sprains. Bathe frequently in hot water and take perfect rest. 

Burns. Use carbolized oil. For slight burns soda will relieve. 

For washing deep burns, mix five drops of carbolic acid in one 
teaspoonful of glycerine and fifteen drops of listerine. Put this in 
half a pint of warm water. 

Nose Bleed, A roll of paper pressed up behind the upper lip 
will stop nose bleeding. 

llingworm. Ten grains of iodine in an ounce of turpentine, 
bathe frequently. 

Corns. A bread poultice made with strong vinegar is good for 
corns. Between the toes put a piece of absorbent cotton. 

Poultices. Make all poultices large to insure heat and moisture. 

Bread and milk is the simplest poultice. 

Scraped carrot, boiled soft, is good for running sores. 

Flaxseed poultice is good for cold on the lungs. 

Be careful not to take cold after poulticing. 



Miistai'd Plaster. Mix with white of egg to prevent blistering. 
Lime in tlie Eyes. Use cold sugar water. 

Thirst. Hot drinks relieve thirst better than cold ones. Hot 
water is a good remedy. Also, for feverish thirst, brown to burn- 
ing a slice of bread and while hot plunge it into a tumbler of cold 
water. Also, weak green tea and lemon juice. 

Sting of Bees. Carefully extract the sting, then suck the 
wound and apply ammonia. 

Disinfectant. Burn coffee on hot coals or oh a hot stove in the 
room. 

Solid Food properly masticated, is more easily digested, gen- 
erallj^, than soups and broths. 

Fats and oily substances are hard to digest. Strong mental ex- 
■ ercise or emotion tends to impair digestion. 

Lightning. Damp air is a conductor of electricity. Avoid a 
draught of air in a house during thunder storms. An open field is 
safer than near a tree or building during a storm. I^ightning will 
not pass through dry silk. 

Convulsions. Give a warm bath and put a cold cloth on the 
head. 

Nail in the Foot. Make a poultice of a fresh beet thoroughly 
pounded. Apply frequently. 

Icy Steps. Put salt on to cut the ice. 

Warts. Wash them with moistened washing soda and let it dry 
without wiping. Do this often till they have disappeared. 

Fire. A little fire can be easily put out with a pail of water and 
a mop, or a wet blanket. Every minute counts. 

Do not waste time in giving an alarm if you can put the fire 
out yourself. 

In passing through fire keep close to the floor, and, if possible, 
tie a wet silk handkerchief over the face. 
Mosquito Bites, Apply listerine. 

To sponge the body with a weak solution (six or seven per cent.) 
of carbolic acid is a protection against the sting of mosquitos and 
other insects. 

Salt is a remedy for poison from pineapple peel. 
Sage tea will prevent hair from falling out. 
Honey or molasses is said to be good for a sting. 
Cholera. Acids destroy the life of cholera germs. 
Cleanliness is most important. 

Boil all water used for drinking and cooking purposes. 
Disinfecting Compound. Oil of Rosemary ten parts, lavender 
two and a half parts, thyme two and a half parts, mix with thirty 
parts of water and one and a half parts of nitric acid. Shake the 
bottle before using. Saturate a sponge with the compound and 
leave in the room to diffuse the mixture by evaporation. 

To Keep Shaved Ice. Put a saucer containing shaved or 
pounded ice in a soup plate and cover it with another, then place the 
plates between two pillows. This will preserve ice for 24 hours. 
To Stop Bleeding. Apply wet tea leaves. 

Sty on the Eye. Wet black tea leaves with boiling water and 
bind on the eye over night, or touch with pulsatilla. 
Bee Sting. Apply raw corn meal. 
For Ivy Poison. Use sweet spirits of nitre. 
For "dragged out feeling." Plenty of fresh air. 
Prevention is better than cure. 



Eat lightly and rest when indisposed from sudden cold or 
overwork. 

Guard especially against taking cold when very tired. 

Change wet clothing as soon as possible. 

If frozen rub with snow till the stiffness is out, and keep from 
the fire. 

Never Lig-ht a fire with kerosene. 

Trim and fill lamps in the day time. 

Never fill a lighted lamp or stove. 

When Gas is Escaping- in a room do not bring a light till the 
room is aired. 

Never put your head out of a car window when the train is in 
motion. 

Never jump from a car before it has stopped. 

Always look in the direction in which you are moving. 

If a horse runs away with you do not jump out of the vehicle. 

Keep matches away from children and mice. 

A physician says "take the elevator up and the stairs down." 

In climbing a ladder look up not down. 

Spotted veils are injurious to the eyes. 

Never read while lying down if you value your eyes. 

Turn your back to the light when reading. 

Bad dreams are often caused by a tight neck band. 

Volatile preparations lose their strength with keeping. Opium, 
and mixtures with it, grow stronger. 

Eat acid fruits when using white lead paints. 

To Restore Exhausted Nerves. Take a warm bath with an 
ounce of ammonia to each pailful of water. 

Sleeplessness is often caused by hunger. Do not go to bed 
hungry, but do not eat heavily or of indigestible food just before 
retiring. 

,,: To Relieve Paroxysms of Coughing. Put a spoonful of pure 
glycerine in half a glass of hot milk. 

For Earache. Have a hop bag ready in case of earache or 
neuralgia. Make it of flannel and fill it with hops. Heat for use 
byJaying in the oven. It can be used over and over again 



CARE OF INVALIDS. 

Keep the room thoroughly ventilated, temperature even, be- 
tween 68 and 70 degrees. 

Have pure air always and plenty of sunshine except in hot 
weather. 

Shade the patient's eyes from daylight or gas light. 

Change bed linen at least once in three days, blankets and quilts 
once a week. Latter can be well aired instead of washed. 

In long illness watch for bed sores. If found wash with a few 
drops of listerine in warm water, dry thoroughly and lay linen rag, 
saturated with vaseline, over sore or reddened place. 
,i . Keep sheets and pillows smooth but do not disturb the patient 
wiih fussiness. 

, ,„ Hake the meals tempting in appearance. 
'" Do not whisper, or walk on tiptoe, speak aloud or not at all. 

Do not allow talking ijj the riext room,Jieard by but unintelligi- 
ble to the patient. '! V • 



An iuvajid cannot bear much talki;ig at one time. , , 

Do not rattle paper or move about unnecessarily. Shut 49Prs 
and windows softly. 

Keep all unneeded things out of the room, the less drapery the 
better. 

Make every preparation for night early. Do not ''forget some- 
thing" till the patient is ready to go to sleep. 

Infection, In such cases the visitor must not go tired or 
fasting into the sick room. 

Do not stand in a draught from the bed to a door or fire-place. 

Do not hang over the bed nor sit too close to the patient. 

Be fearless and cool. 

Burn all rags used in contagious diseases. ^,^,^^ 

Be careful to wash by themselves spoons and dishes used in me 
sick room. 

Coal for Grrate. Wrap each piece in paper and they can be 
laid on with the hands making no noise in the sick room. 

The Tong-ue. A white fur on the tongue attends simple fever 
and inflammation. 

Yellow tongue indicates derangement of the liver, possibly 
typhoid fever. 

A vividly red tongue, inflammation of the mucous membrane of 
the stomach or bowels. 

A white velvety tongue attends mental diseases. 



SWIMMING AND BATHING. 

Do not go into the water for at least an hour after eating. 

After the first shock of cold a warm glow should come over the 
body. If it does not, get out of the water. '' ^ 

Do not stay in a minute after the second chill. There is great 
danger when the skin turns blue. 

Do not go into the surf above your waist if you cannot swim. 

Never stand around in wet clothes till you feel chilly. 

If you cannot swim and find yourself beyond youi depth don't 
get rattled. lyie perfectly flat on your back with arms outstretched 
and, by very slight movements of the hands up and down, you will 
easily keep afloat. 



KITCHEN. 

Very Fat Meat requires more time to cook than lean meat. 

An Iron Pot with soot on the bottom will boil water quicker 
than one without. 

Don't bang the oven door when cake is in, as it makes it heavy. 

Fresh meat when beginning to sour may be sweetenedb^ 
placing it out of doors over night. 

Don't core apples or quinces when making jelly from them." ' 

Peal oranges easily by starting from the stem end. ' ' ' 

Do not begin on the stem end in grating nutmegs or they will 
crumble. 

To Test Flour, Good flour will hold together when squeezed 
tightly in the hand. ' 

Soap. Don't let soap lie in dish water to waste. 



Sink. Put washing soda dissolved in boiling water in your 
sink once a week. Don't throw 'water which has much washing 
powder in it into your sink unless boiling hot, for when cool it will 
clog the pipes. 

Spriukle salt on the stove when anything has boiled over. 

Hot Water Pipes. Never use water from hot water pipes for 
cooking. Galvanized iron poisons hot water but not cold. 

Stove Polish. Mix stove polish with strong soap suds, or add a 
few drops of turpentine to the blacking. 

To blacken a hot stove add a little sugar to the blacking. 

Keep stoves clean by rubbing them daily with newspaper. 

New Iron Kettles. Boil potato skins in them to prevent rust. 
This will also take oflf burn from iron kettles or agate ware. 

Rest. Keep an easy chair in your kitchen. 

Oveiiclotlis. Have plenty of oven cloths made from old calico. 
Don't use towels for ovencloths. 

New Iron. New iron should be very gradually heated at first 
to prevent cracking. 

Clogged Lamp Burners. Boil them some time in water in 
which a good-sized lump of saleratus and a little soap has been 
dissolved. 

Pie plates that have been long in use are apt to get rancid. Put 
them in weak lye cold and let it come to a boil. 

Cutlery. Never put a good knife in hot fat as it destroys the 
temper of the steel. Do not put ivory handles into hot water. 

Do not wrap steel knives in woolen cloths, paper is better. 
Woolen injures steel. 

Nutmeg" and Cinnamon for sauce should be mixed through the 
sugar before it is wet. 

Cheese. Keep cheese in cloth wrung out of cold water. 

Salt Pork. To freshen, soak in milk. 

Mackerel. Soak over night in milk and water. 

Liver. Pour boiling water over liver before frying to take out 
strong taste. 

Old Fowl or other tough meat. To make tender put half a cup 
of vinegar in the water in which it is boiled. 

Stewed fruit will be sweet with less sugar if it is put in after 
removing from the fire. 

Spinach. In boiling, when nearly done drain off hot water and 
put on cold letting it come again to boiling. 

Perfect Coffee will be roasted at home; a light brown, not black. 

Hard Boiled Eg-^s. Cook not less than twenty minutes in 
water just below the boiling point to prevent tough yolks. 

Cranberries and lemons can be kept good a long time in cold 
water. 

To keep Parsley for winter use, dip it in strong boiling salt 
and water and dry. 

Charcoal is recommended as an absorbent of gases in the 
milk room. 

To Remove a Glass Stopper. Put on sweet oil and set it in 
the sun. 

In Canning' Fruit. Stand the glass jars on a folded towel 
thoroughly wet with cold water and hot fruit can be put in without 
breaking the jar. 



Jelly. In making jelly do a little at a time. The color and 
flavor are better when the jelly is made in fair weather. But after 
they are made keep jellies in a dark, cool, dry place. 

Oatmeal. In making porridge do not put in salt till it has 
boiled ten minutes. Salt hardens the grains. 

Sardine Sandwiches. Drain off the oil and lay sardines on 
soft paper before making sandwiches. 

Peas and Beans need soft water for boiling. 

Onions are better in hard water. Salt will harden the water. 

Meat. To extract juice put meat in cold water without salt. 
To keep juice in use hot water and salt. 

To Choose a Fowl. If young the rooster's spurs are short. If 
old the fowl will have an open vent, it young a close hard one. A 
hen, if old, has rough legs and comb — smooth ones if young. 

Radishes with the skins scraped off will be easily digested. 

Cake. In making cake warm the sugar before putting it to the 
butter to make it cream. 

Lard. To cleanse lard heat it to boiling point, skim off the 
froth, slice an apple into it and cook till done. 

Currants. To wash currants for cake use warm but not hot 
water. Rub the currants well with flour before washing. 

Blanching- Almonds. Drop them in cold water as you take the 
skins off to keep them white. Do not let them stand long in hot 
water. 

Fruit for Cake. Heat fruit for cake before putting it in to 
keep it from going to the bottom. 

To Break Ice without loss wrap it in a strong cloth and pound 
with a mallet. 

Drawn Butter. Put the butter and flour iu cold water and let 
it stand some time before heating. Stir while boiling one way only. 

To Preserve Egg-s. Pack them in dry salt not to touch one 
another. 

Custard. In making baked custard warm the milk before 
adding the sugar and eggs. 

Pour the hot milk on the beaten eggs, stir well and then return 
to the double kettle. 

Meat. Never place meat directly on the ice. 

Poultry or (xame. Wipe inside and out with a cloth dipped 
in vinegar. 

Paring Peaches. Dip them in boiling water then in cold to 
take the skins off. 

To Scald Milk. Wet the sauce pan with cold water before put- 
ting the milk in and it will not easily scorch. 

In Making Tea. See that the water boils, and has just com- 
menced to boil, when poured on the tea and put on all that is needed 
at once. 

To Test an Oven. Try it with a piece of white paper. If it be- 
comes a light brown it is right for pastry ; if dark yellow for bread 
or cake, if black for nothing. 

Doughnuts— Lard. After frying doughnuts pour the lard into 
a pan and let it cool. When hard turn it out and scrape off the bot- 
tom before putting it back into the kettle. 

Firm Butter without ice. Take a new flower pot, wrap it in a 
wet cloth and set it over the butter. 

Anything: Mixed with water requires a hotter oven than th^ 
same thing mixed with milk. 



., A Drippinsi' Tjiu half full of cold water set on the upper grate 
in the oven will prevent cakes and pies from burning. 

To Cut New Bread heat the knife and the bread will not 
crumble. 

To Boil Potatoes. When the skin breaks pour off the water 
and let them finish cooking in their own steam. 

(Travy. A tablespoonful of strong coffee put in white gravy 
gives a good flavor. In making set the pan off the fire while you 
stir in the flour. 

Maccaroiii. Dash cold water over maccaroni after boiling be- 
fore baking. 

To Make Pie Crust Flaky. Rub a little flour and butter to- 
gether and then roll it into the crust. 

If cake sticks to the pan put a wet cloth around the tin and let 
it stand a few minutes. 
, .; Acids will curdle milk but not cream. 

Boiled Eg'g'S for Slicing-. They should be put in cold water 
and brought to boiling point. Boil fifteen minutes then take off 
and stand to cool in same water. 

Milky (tI asses should be rinsed in clear cold water before they 
are put in hot suds. 

Pariug- Pineapples. Wrap a cloth around the top leaves. 
§tand the fruit on a table and cut the skin downwards holding the 
top with the left hand, pick out the eyes with a penknife and then 
slice, or pick up with a silver fork. Do not use same knife for 
cutting rind and slicing as the acid of the rind is poisonous to 
some persons. 

To Beat Eggs. To beat the whites easily add a pinch of vsalt. 

.Pies. Wash the crust of pies with milk to make them brown 

■ ' To Seed Raisins easily pour hot water over them, let them 
stand a moment then drain off the water. 
' Tea, Coffee and Spices should be kept in close cans. 

Molasses and vinegar iugs should be kept corked. 
., Kitchen Sink. Keep a small piece of washing soda in the sink 
all the time. Once a week, at least, pour hot water in it till the 
pipes are thoroughly cleaned. 

. To Detect Lead. The least trace of lead in water may be de- 
tected by adding a few drops of tincture of cochineal. If any lead is 
present the water will at once become blue. 

Canned Goods. Never leave them in the can after it is 
opened. Turn out at once. 

Pour off the liquor from salmon and lobster. They are im- 
pgroved by being rinsed in cold water. 

:; Canned meats will not keep so long as fresh meat after the can 
k.opened. 

To Wash Mica. Put a little vinegar in the water. 
,; To Pulverize Salt. Heat it in an oven and roll with a rolling 

' ^lien Boiling Onions. Set a cup of vinegar on the stove to 
boil and it will destroy the odor. 

To Keep Ivory Handles White. Wash them with a flannel 
dipped in soap suds, wipe very dry. Dissolve alum in water, boil it 
and when cold let the handles lie in it for one hour— then brush 
them well with an old tooth-brush. Next dip a linen towel in cold 



f 



water, squeeze it out and wrap it around the handles leaving them 
to dry gradually. It would injure them to dry rapidly. 

Lamps. Wipe wicks of lamps. Do not cut them. 

Breathe in the chimneys and wipe with newspaper. 

Do not fill lamps quite full. 

Never fill them when lighted or near a light. 

Damp Cellar or Pantry. Keep a box of lime in it. 

Roug'li Hands. When washing them use very little soap, rinse 
well and dry thoroughly. Keep old gloves to put on when making^ 
fires. 



I 



LAUNDRY. 



Dish Towels. Boil up with a little ammonia in the water. t)on't 
injure other clothes by putting them in the general washing. 

Flat Irons, Wipe them on a cloth wet with kerosene and they 
will not scorch. Rub with salt if rusty. 

Scorched Linen. Lay the article in the bright sun. 

Ironing. Dry the clothes thoroughly before putting them 
away. Damp towels have been known to produce a skin disease. 

To Remove Stearin. Use pure alcohol. 

To Wash Lisle Thread Gloves. Do not use soap. Put a tea? 
spoonful of ammonia in one quart of water. Dry on the hands. ''''' 

Fine Lace. Use no starch but put a little fine white sugiir-'iii 
the rinsing water. Iron lace between two pieces of paper. ''"'' 

Black Stockings. Wash separate from other clothes if yd'u 
want them to look well. Lint from white clothes is ruinous *tb 
black stockings. 

Gray and Bnff Linen. A tablespoonful of black pepper put in 
the first water in which gray or buff linen is washed is said to keep 
the color. Also good for black cambric. 

(xum Arabic is better than starch for colored linen. Dampeti 
the fabric with a cloth wet in gum Arabic water, a little at a time, 
and iron while damp, on either side of goods. 

To Stiffen Straw Hats. Use gum Arabic water and press with 
a flatiron. 

To Clean Angora or other white wool or fur. Make wheat 
flour very hot and rub through the wool or fur. Pin the garment 
on a line where the wind will blow out the flour. Stir the flour 
while heating. 

To Clean Feathers. Lay them on a plate and scrub gently 
with a toothbrush dipped in soapsuds. Shake out and dry by a 
good fire. After perfectly dry curl with a pen knife. 

Ink Stains in colored goods can be removed by first washing 
with warm water without soap then dipping in a weak solution of 
oxalic acid hot, then rinsed in warm water and the spots touched 
with diluted ammonia. 

To Press Velvet. Put a wet cloth on a flat-iron and lay the 
velvet on it right side up. Rub the velvet gently with a dry cloth 
till the pile is raised. When it is dry brush with a soft brush. 

Ink Ont of Linen. Put on melted tallow and then wash. . 

Fruit Stains. Soak in kerosene before wetting with water. 

To Wash Black Goods. Soak the goods all night in water p'lit 
on warm with a little borax dissolved in it. In the mornihg "h^tlj^ 
rtn the line t6' drip and press when nearly dry. '''' 



GARDEN. 

Fertilizer. Ashes mixed in soapsuds is good for bushes. 

A tablespoonful of liquid ammonia to each gallon of water is a 
good fertilizer. Weak manure water is also good for plants. The 
pure manure is too strong. Keep the earth moist, not wet. 

Use tepid water for watering plants. 

Before spading in the spring sow salt plentifully on the ground 
if the soil is inclined to be too dry. It will keep it moist. 

To Kill Grass or Weeds in Paths. Sow salt plentifully over 
them when they first come up, or use strong brine. 

Coal Ashes will make a good walk. 

Seed Beds. Covering small seeds with a black cloth will 
hasten their germination. 

Transplanting. Carry the plants in a pail with water in the 
bottom. Pour water in the hole before setting the plants. 

To Destroy Weeds. Ten pounds of stone lime, five gallons of 
water and one pound of flour of sulphur. Mix together and when 
settled pour off the liquid and put it on the weeds 

Grapes from Cuttings. Have a box two feet high and two and 
a half wide, as long as you please. Fill the box half full of well 
pulverized soil ; prepare the cuttings with three eyes in each one, 
cut smooth below the bottom one. Place them in slanting posi- 
tion with the last bud just above the soil. Nail some cheap white 
cloth tightly over the top of the box. Water with warm water every 
evening. Place the box in a sunny place. Plant out in a few weeks. 

To Prune Grape Vines. Cut off half or more of the previous 
season's growth. Leave the largest canes and shorten these. If 
any small ones are kept leave three buds only on each cane. 

Prune early before the vines bleed. 

Suckers from Apple Trees. Remove them early in the 
season before the sap runs. 

Safest Time for Wounding- Trees. All plants that drop their 
leaves can be transplanted better just when the leaves have faded 
than at any other time. This is also a good time for pruning or 
wounding trees and plants. 

Cucumber Patch. Cut the cucumbers every day. Do not 
allow one to go to seed if 5^011 want a good crop. 

Asparagus. Cut large and small shoots every day till the cut- 
ting season is over. 

Sunflowers. The stalks and seeds are said to make good fuel. 
"An acre of sunflowers will furnish fuel for one stove for one year." 

Pansies. Water well and keep moderately thinned out pulling 
the weakest plants. 

Tube-roses. Plant bulbs in old fruit cans without holes in the 
bottom, keep them warm and wet. When well started set them out 
in the bed. 

To Root Cuttings. Put the cutting in a bottle filled with 
water. Fill around the top of the bottle with cotton. Hang the 
bottle in a light place but not close to a window. In two or three 
weeks it will have good roots, then take from the bottle and dip the 
roots in warm sand until each fibre is coated. Pot in a rich sandy 
composition spreading the roots gently. Press the soil down above 
them. Water well and shade them from the sun. 

Care of Rose Bushes. Roses that bloom more than once in a 
season should be pruned back after the first blossoming to a strong 
bud. Never allow seed capsules to mature on the bushes. 



Commou Elder makes a good ornamental hedge if kept trimmed. 

Protect Young' Trees, after planting, with a frame which will 
shade as well as keep them from injury. It is well to wrap the 
trunks in straw. 

Bulbs should be taken up on the first bright sunny day after 
the frost has withered the stalks. Let them dry in the sun for a 
few hours then cut the stalks to within a few inches of the bulb and 
put each kind in a separate paper bag, marking them with the name. 

Creraniums and Salvias can be kept all winter by shaking off 
the dirt from the roots and hanging them, upside down, to the 
beams in the cellar. In the spring cut them down almost to the 
roots and set them out. 

House plants require plenty of fresh air and freedom from 
dust. It is safe to open windows when the mercury is over 30° out of 
doors. All plants need some rest and those for the house should 
be potted early in September and kept in a dark place, with little 
watering, until the middle of October. After this give them all the 
sun and light you can. When dry give them water but do not keep 
them soaked. 

Temperature for House plants should average from 60° to 70° 
in the day time and about 50° at night. Plants require moist air 
and it is well to keep a can of water on the stove in a room where 
they are. Water with warm water. 

If plants seem sickly give them fresh soil. 

"Small pots make quick bloom." 

House plants need more water after January than before. 

Keep the pots clean on the outside. 

To fill a Window Box. Put in first an inch or two of broken 
pots, cover this with moss and then with good earth. 

Frozen Plants. Set in a dark place and shower with cold water 
till the frost is out. 

Charcoal mixed with the soil is good for plants. 

Soaked Earth for house plants may cause malaria in the house. 

Don't water plants when the sun is shining on them. 

One hour of morning sun is worth two in the afternoon. Turn 
the plants frequently to insure symmetrical growth. 

Mignonette for the house. Sow the seed in pots in September 
and let plants grow till just ready to bloom then transplant to a 
window box. For soil in the box use three parts loam, one part 
manure, one part leaf mold. Apply water in the mornings. Shade 
from the sun in the middle of the day. 

Sponge for Ornament. Take a large sponge and soak it well 
in warm water. Squeeze it half dry and scatter seed of any small 
vine or plant in the openings. Hang the sponge near a window 
and sprinkle it with water every morning. 

Sweet Potato Vine. Cut off one end of a sweet potato and lay 
the potato in a dish with enough water to wet the under part. Set 
it in a warm dark place until sprouts start, pinch oflF all but two or 
three and hang up in a sunny place. 

To Keep Cut Flowers. Put a pinch of salt in the water in which 
they are. 

They can be kept a long while by laying them every evening in 
a shallow bowl with their stems in a little water and the whole 
covered with a damp towel. Cut the stems off a little each day. 

To Keep Cut Flowers Fresh add a little carbonate of soda to 
the water in the vases. 



Apple Trees. Paint the trunk with soft soap and sulphur to 
destroy worms and improve fruit. Five gallons of soap to one of 
sulphur. Put on with white wash brush. 

Red Spiders. Keep a saucer of water among the pots. Sponges 
filled with water and placed in the branches of large plants will 
drive away red spiders. 

Lime Water applied once or twice a week will destroy worms 
in pots. It may also be used for oprinkling the foliage to remove 
insects. 

Currant Worms. Apply salt water with a syringe when the 
worms have begun to destroy the leaves. Do this in dry weather as 
a rain would dilute the salt. The salt water must not be strong 
enough to kill the leaves. 

For Rose Blight. Equal quantities of sulphur and tobacco 
sprinkled over bushes when the dew is on. Also, decoction of elder 
leaves applied with syringe. This will also prevent fungi. 

To Kill Bugs on Vines. Dissolve a tablespoonful of saltpetre 
in a pailful of water and sprinkle on vines. 

Cucumber Vines. Cover the hills with split cotton-batting 
until the plants are up to keep oflf bugs. 

Quince Bush. Bandage the stem with two or three wrappings 
of cloth as far down as possible and pack earth about two inches 
around the bandage, renew each spring. 

Earwigs. Make tubes, three or four inches in length, of elder. 
Plug up one end, hang the tube on a stick close to the infected 
plant, open end downwards. In the morning remove the tube and 
destroy the insects in it with boiling water. 



GENERAL INFORMATION. 

Light Oas or Candle by holding the match to one side, not over 
the orifice or wick. Hold it higher than the mouth when blowing 
it out. 

To Make Wood Fire-Proof. Soak in skim milk and brine. 

Clean Furs with warm bran. 

Remove Match Marks from Wood by rubbing with lemon. 

<jrease Spots on Floor. Use cold water, lay over the spot 
brown paper and iron it with a hot iron. 

Rubbers for Fruit Jars when hard and stiff can be softened by 
boiling in water. 

Tinware can be cleaned with common soda. 

To Toughen Steel. Melt together two pounds resin, two 
pounds of tallow and one pound of black pitch. When hot dip in 
the steel. 

To Draw a Rusty Nail or Screw^. Apply a hot poker to the 
head of a rusty nail or screw, till it is Vv^armed through, and the nail 
can be easily drawn. 

To Mend Rubber Articles. Procure a piece of virgin India 
rubber. Cut it with a wet knife into thinnest possible shavings, 
then with sharp scissors into fine threads. Fill a wide-mouthed 
bottle about one-tenth full of the shredded rubber and cover with 
three- four: hs of the bottle full of pure benzine. Shake frequently 
atid in a fev/ days a syrup v/ill be formed. If it is too thin add more 
rubber ; if too thick add benzine. Three coats of this will mend 



worn places in rubber coats, boots and overshoes. It is useful also 
as a general cement. 

Or, use equal parts of demar varnish and asphaltum with a little 
turpentine. 

To Clean Eiigraving-s, Put the engraving on a clean, smooth 
board and cover it with a thin layer of common salt, finely pulver- 
ized, then squeeze lemon juice upon the salt until a considerable 
portion is dissolved. After every part of the picture is so treated 
raise one end of the board to form an angle of forty-five degrees. 
Pour boiling water on the engraving until the salt and lemon juice 
is all washed off. It must be dried gradually on the board. Do not 
put it near the fire nor in the sun. 

Stains from Prints, Make a strong solution of chloride of 
lime by immersing the lime in a muslin bag in water sufficient to 
cover the prints. Let the prints remain in the solution until quite 
clean then rinse in weak vinegar and water. Ink on paper can be 
removed with a solution of oxalic or citric acid without injuring 
printing. 

To Drive Nails in Hard Wood. Dip the ends in lard or tallow. 

Paint Houses in the autumn rather than in the spring. 

To Clean Russia Iron. Mix kerosene with common blacking. 

Sticky Varnish can be dried by a coat of benzine. After two 
or three davs another coat of varnish may be applied. 

To Cut (xlass. Wet the instrument in camphor gum dissolved 
in turpentine. 

To Mend China. Use gum Arabic and plaster of Paris. 

Nickel Plated fronts of grates should be rubbed with sweet 
oil and wrapped in brown paper before being stored. 

Clean Sponges with lemon juice or wash them in buttermilk 
and they will be as good as new. 

To Clean Bottles. Egg shells broken into small bits and 
shaken about in bottles half filled with cold water will remove 
stains from the bottles. 

To Renovate Morocco Leather varnish with the white of an 
egg- 
Stamping' Fluid. To stamp on silk or velvet. Mix to a cream 
white lime and boiled oil with a livtle dryer such as is used with 
paint. Lay on the perforated pattern and ar ply the fluid with 
brush or finger evenly over the perforations. Clean the pattern im- 
mediately after using it by turning benzine over it and then wiping 
dry on both sides. 

Blue Impression Paper, Mix Prussian blue powder with lard 
to a paste and apply it to thin paper with a rag. Wipe off as 
much as possible with a clean rag. 

To Copy Ferns. Saturate them in porter and press between 
sheets of white paper in a book until perfectly dry. 

Fire Exting-uisher, Dissolve a quarter of a pound of pearl ash 
in water and keep it ready tor use. In case of fire throw it into a 
bucket of water and pour it on the fire. 

Whitewash for Outside Buildings, Slack one peck of lime in 
five gallons of water in which one pound of rice has been boiled 
until all dissolved. Pour the water on the lime hot and keep the 
mixture covered till the lime is all slacked, then add one pound of 
salt. Heat to boiling when ready to use. 

To Remove Old Paint from woodwork slack three pounds of 
lime in water, add one pound of pearl ash ; make it as thick as ordi- 



nary paint. Lay this over tlie old paint with a brush. Let it remain 
from twelve to fourteen hours and you can scrape the paint oflF with 
ease. 

Paint for Iron Work exposed to the weather can be made of 
half a gallon of varnish, half a gallon of boiled linseed oil, and red 
lead sufficient to make it the consistency of paint. 

To Clean Zinc. Mix one part of sulphuric acid with twelve 
parts of water. Put this on the zinc with a swab and then rub off 
with a dry cloth. 

To Remove Rust From Steel. Immerse the articles in kero- 
sene for a few days. If any spots remain rub them with emeiy 
paper. 

Prevent Rust on Steel by covering the surface with a mixture 
of equal parts of carbolic acid and olive oil. Or dust them with un- 
slacked lime. 

Or, cover with lard and rosin melted together — three parts lard, 
one part rosin. 

Add to one quart of water one-half pound of quick 
lime; let the mixiure stand until the surface is clear; pour off the 
clear liquid and stir it into olive oil until is becomes thick and 
creamy ; rub articles which are to be put away with this mixture, and 
wrap them in thick paper. 

Rust in Show Cases. This can be prevented by keeping a 
saucer of powdered quick lime in the case. 

Brass. To keep highly polished brass from tarnishing cover 
it with a thin coat of varnish made of shellac dissolved in alcohol. 
Warm the brass when applying the varnish. 

To Clean Steel. Mix one ounce of soft soap with two ounces 
of emery. 

The older emery paper is, that is, the more it has been used, 
the better it will be for fine polishing, because the metal filled be- 
tween the grains of emery forms a polishing powder of the metal 
itself. 

Bronze may be renovated and recolored by the use of a mixture 
of one part of muriatic acid with two parts of water. After the 
article is freed from all grease and dirt the diluted acid is carefully 
applied with a cloth. When the solution is dry the article is well 
polished with fine olive oil. 

To Clean Brasses. Salt and vinegar will do if the best pom- 
ades are not on hand. Oxalic acid and powdered pumice stone is 
also good. 

To Keep Paint Brushes. When the brush is new, hold it 
upside down and pour in a teaspoonful of good varnish and 
keep the brush in that position until dry. When through painting 
clean the brush with turpentine, then with strong soapsuds, rinse 
in clear warm water, dry and put away wrapped in paper. Or keep 
it in a deep vessel containing enough linseed oil to cover the bris- 
tles of the brush. 

To Soften a Hard Brush. If a paint brush has been allowed to 
dry, with the paint on, it may be softened in this way. Put turpen- 
tine in a shallow dish and set it on fire. (Do this out of doors.) Let it 
burn for a minute until hot, then smother out the flame and dip in 
the hard brush and work it about until the brush becomes limber. 

To Remove Mildew. Wet the cloth in soft water and rub on 
plenty of soap and salt ; hang it on the line in the sun and air for a 
few days. 



(rrease Spots ou Carpets. Dry buckwheat flour sprinkled on 
thickly and a paper pinned over the spot for several hours will re- 
move grease. Don't use water but brush briskly with a broom. 

Iron Rust. Wet the cloth and rub on dry cream of tartar. Put 
where the sun will shine directly on it. 

Ink from Carpets. Soak up the ink with cotton batting or 
soft paper as much as you can. Then dip a piece of the batting in 
milk and sop the ink spot with this changing the cotton and mi k 
until the spot disappears. Then wash with clean hot water, after- 
wards with soap and water and finally with clear water. Wipe dry. 

Fruit Stains. Most fruit stains can be removed by pouring 
boiling water through the stains before putting into the wash. Or, 
dampen the spot and hold it over the smoke of lighted brimstone. 

Tea Stains. Clear boiling water will remove tea stains before 
* washing. 

Old Fruit Stains. Use a weak solution of oxalic acid. Rinse 
thoroughly with clear water. Wet again with ammonia and rinse 
as before. 

Orass Stains. Rub in either molasses or alcohol till the stains 
disappear. 

Wagon Grease, Tar or Pitch. Rub well with lard and then 
wash. 

Colors Lost by acids must be treated with alkalies, as ammonia. 
Those injured by alkalies must have acids. 

Remove Paint from cloth with turpentine and then wipe over 
the spot with alcohol. 

To Remove Marking Ink from linen apply with a camel's hair 
brush a solution of cyanuret of potassium with cold water. Then 
wash and rinse. 

Bloodstains. Apply thick paste of starch and cold water. 
Place in the sun and rub off in two hours. If not all removed try 
again. 

Iodine Stains. Dip in cold water and hold before the fire till 
dry. Repeat if necessary. 

Paint. To remove paint use four tablespoonsful of ammonia, 
four of alcohol and one of salt. Shake well and apply with a sponge. 

Stained Boards. Muratic acid will take ink and other stains 
from bodrds. Wet whiting will sometimes do it. 

Fruit Stains. Rub with camphor before washing. 

Ink Stains on white goods can be removed with salt and lemon 
(or possibly by wet salt alone) and setting in the sun till the stain 
is removed. Keep the salt wet. 

Another Way is to put the article in sweet milk and let it 
stand till the milk is sour. 

For Old Ink Stains. Very bad stains may be removed in this 
way. Put into a fruit jar a spoonful of chloride of lime, pour upon 
this a little muriatic acid ; moisten the stained spot with water and 
place it in the mouth of the jar, covering closely. Be careful not to 
let the material touch the mixture. The vapor arising will take out 
the stain. 

Ink From Hands. A ripe tomato rubbed on will remove ink 
stains from the hands. 

To Purify Rain Water. Hang a small bag of charcoal in the 
cistern. 

Alum will purify water and percipitate earthy and vegetable 
matters contained in it. 



Cement for (ilass and 3Ielals. Five parts black resin, melt 
and stir in one part yellov/ wax and, gradually one part red ochre, 
well dried and powdered. Melt to use. 

Marble Cement. One pound gum Arabic made into thick 
paste, add to it half a pound of plaster of Paris and five ounces of 
sifted quick lime. Mix well, heat the marble and apply. 

(xas Fitters Cement. Mix rosin, four and a half parts, wax oce 
part, Venetian red three parts. 

To Mend tJiass. Five parts gelatine to one of acid chromate of 
lime. Bxpose to sunlight. 

Or, cover glass, with pieces tied together, with cold salt water. 
Set it over the fire till the water boils well, then cool slowly. 

Cement for (^utters. A good cement for gutters can be made 
of boiled paint skins with sand and fine lime mixed in thick while 
hot. Use it hot. 

Japanese Cement for fancy work. It is almost transparent and 
very strong. Mix the best powdered rice with a little cold water. 
When perfectly smooth pour on boiling water, as for starch, stirring 
all the while. Then put it in a double kettle and boil lor one 
minute. 

For Mending- Dishes. Use white lead paint with plenty of oil 
in it. Put the paint on the broken edges and tie the pieces firmly 
together. Wipe off the paint that oozes out and set the dish away 
where it will not be disturbed for months. 

Cement for Knife Handle. When knife handles become loose 
fasten them with this cement. Four parts rosin, one part beeswax, 
one part plaster of Paris. Fill the hole with the cement then heat 
the steel of the handle and press it firmly in. 

Plaster of Paris moistened with white of egg or gum Arabic 
water makes a good cement for broken crockery or glass. 

Coal Ashes mixed with salt and water to a stiff paste will harden 
like a rock and make good cement for cracks in stoves, or can be 
used to reline a coal stove. 

(xlue for Mounting- Ferns. A delicate glue for ferns or sea- 
weeds is made of five parts gum Arabic, three parts of white sugar, 
two parts of starch and a very little water. Boil until thick and 
white. 

To Grlue on a Bright 3Ietal Surface. Dip the metal into a hot 
solution of washing soda and scrub clean, wiping perfectl}'' dry. 
Then apply onion juice to the surface of the metal and paste the 
label on as usual. 

Good Glue. To keep liquid, melt the glue and add a few drops 
of nitric acid. 

Macilage. Dissolve clear glue in equal parts of wateraud strong 
vinegar add one-fourth part of alcohol and a little dissolved alum. 

Paste that will Keep for months if kept in a tight bottle is 
made by dissolving a piece of alum the size of a walnut in a pint of 
boiling water to which is added two spoonsful of flour made 
smooth in a little cold v/ater. The mixture must then be boiled 
with a few cloves thrown in. 

Glue Insoluble in Water. Dissolve glue and add about one- 
fifth part of potassium bichromate and expose the glued article to 
the light. 

The Art of Gumming neatly. Gum the back of the pictures all 
over ana let them dry. Later dampen the gummed back and paste 
as desired. 



Paste for Wall Paper. Starch makes a better paste than flour 
and is less expensive as it goes further. 

Powdered Chalk added to glue will strengthen it. 

Mouth Glue. 0ns pound of gelatine dissolved in half a pound 
of brown sugar boiled thick. Cut in long narrow pieces while hot. 
Soften with the mouth for use. 

To Kill the Lime on walls that are to be papered, a coating of 
glue size must be put on. For this break up a pound of glue in two 
gallons of cold water to stand twenty-four hours. Then heat until 
it is melted. Put it on the wall hot giving two coats. Hot vinegar 
is sometimes used on the walls before the sizing is put on. 

To Remove Old Paper. Dampen it all over with salaratus and 
water and scrape while moist. It is well to wash the wall with a 
weak solution of carbolic acid before repapering to insure against 
infection or insects. 

Paste for Papering-. Add one ounce of glue and half an ounce 
of borax, to each gallon of paste. Make the paste of wheat or rye 
flower or of corn starch. Let the paper lie a few minutes after the 
paste is on before hanging it. 

To Trim Paper. Do not trim the edges at once. Cut your 
lengths and match them according to the margin marks, then paste 
and fold the paper double, being careful to have the edges even. 
After this trim the edges, cutting double pieces. 

Old Wall Paper can be cleaned by rubbing carefully with a 
flannel dipped in oatmeal. Or, by using a piece of raw dough, taking 
care to rub in straight lengths down from top to bottom. Change 
the dough frequently. 

Borders of Wall Paper may be tacked on with small tacks and 
taken down when the ceilings are whitened. 

Grease from Wall Paper. Make a paste of Fuller's earth and 
water and rub carefully. 

To Etch on Steel. Clean the surface thoroughly and then 
spread on a thin coating of beeswax or parafnne. With a needle or 
other point draw, or write, through the wax to the steel. Paint over 
this with a mixture of six parts of nitric acid to one of muriatic 
acid. When the bubbles cease to rise the work is done. Wash in 
strong soda water. 

Ink for Marking- Linen with type. Dissolve one part of asphal- 
tum in four parts of oil of turpentine and a sufiScient quantity of 
black lead or lampblack to be of proper consistency for type. 

A Varnish to Make Glass Opaque. Pound gum tragacanth 
into powder and let it stand for twenty-four hours in whites of eggs 
well beaten. Lay a coat of this on the glass with a soft brush and 
let it dry. 

To Remove Writing Ink from a printed page. To three quarts 
of muriatic acid add one-half part of red oxide lead. Pour it on the 
page and immediately wash it ofi" with clear water. 

Mats for Pictures. These can be cheaply and prettily made 
by using common blotting paper, cutting out the space desired for 
an opening. 

Ebony Stain for Furniture. Use tube oil, blue-black, for 
staining unvarnished wood. If the color sinks in very much repeat 
the process. 

Waterproof Shoeblacking-. Dissolve one ounce of borax in 
water and in this dissolve gum shellac until it is the consistency of 



thin paste, add lampblack lo color and also a spoonful of camphor 
water. 

Avoid a Damp Cellar. When the cellar is damp it soon 
becomes moldy. To avoid this, the wirdows should only 
be opened at night, and late — the last thing before re- 
tiring. There is no need to fear that the night air is unhealth- 
ful — it is as pure as the air of midday, and is really drier. 
The cool air enters the appartment during the night, and circulates 
through it. The windows should be closed before sunrise in the 
morning, and kept closed and shaded through the day. If the cellar 
is damp, it may be thoroughly dried by placing in it a peck of fresh 
lime and charcoal in an open box. 

To Drive Away Mice. Copperas, hops, and camphor gum are 
all good things to keep away mice. Put it in bureau drawers or 
other places exposed to them. Dough is said to catch rats better 
than cheese. 

Motlis. Take cloves, cedar chips and rhubarb one ounce each. 
Pulverize and sprinkle in the chest. This gives a pleasant odor and 
keeps away moths. 

Or, mix half a pint of alcohol, half a pint of turpentine and two 
ounces of camphor. Keep in a stone bottle and shake before using. 
Dip crumpled pieces of blotting paper in the liquid and place 
amongst the clothes put away in the spring. 

Thorouglil}'^ brush woolen clothes immediately before putting 
away. Wrap each article in newspaper, tie iip and label. Do not 
use any preparation which will be offensive when the garment is to 
be worn again. 

Fleas from Dosrs. Make a bag of strong goods just large 
enough to hold the dog. Run a tape in the top. Put a cup full of, 
insect powder in the bag, sprinkling it around the sides. Put the 
dog into the bag tjdng the draw strings around his neck, leaving his 
head out. Rub his body well with the bag and shake it about; 
leave him in the bag for fifteen minutes then take out the dog and 
burn the dead fleas found in the bottom of the bag. 

To Kill Vermin ou Plants or Animals. Pour one gallon of 
boiling water on one pound of tobacco leaves. 

A strong boiling solution of alum water is sure death to all 
insects and is safe and clean. Take two pounds of powdered alum 
to three quarts of boiling water. Apply hot. 

Cockroaches. Mix powdered borax with sugar and scatter 
about where they come. A few drops of turpentine is sometimes 
effective. 

To Kill or Drive Away Anis. Sprigs of wintergreen will drive 
away red ants, and branches of wormwood will drive awa}' black ants. 

Or, scatter whole cloves on pantry shelves, renewing frequently. 

Or, cayenne peper may be used. 

Or, powdered alum, or a strong solution of carbolic acid. 

Saturate a sponge with some sweetened liquid and place it ac- 
cessible to the insects. When they discover it they will swarm 
through it, when it ma)' be 1' rown into boiling water. 

Bed Bui»'S. Take all beds apart early in March and wash them 
with hot alum water. If any bugs are found apply in all cracks 
mercurial ointment, to be bought at a druggist, and examine the 
beds every day until all trace of them is gone. 



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